The European Food safety authority EFSA assess health risks posed by chemicals in food. Food safety and hygiene processes and following of HACCP rules are critical factors for avoiding the pesticide risks and potential recalls. Through iComplai platform users will be notified on emerging pesticide risks like Etoxazole or Ethylene oxide

What is Etoxazole?

Etoxazole (2-(2, 6-difluorophenyl)-4-[4-(1, 1-dimethyleth-yl)-2-ethoxyphenyl]-4, 5-dihydrooxazole), an organo-fluorine pesticide which was developed for use on pome fruits, cotton, and strawberries as an acaricide. Etoxazole is an alternative for carbamates, organochlorines, and other miticides, and works by inhibiting molting.  Etoxazole is active against eggs, larvae, and nymphs of spider mites but lacks any efficacy against male and female adults. It usually exhibits high efficacy and behaves like an insect/mite growth regulator, considering its effects on the different developmental stages mentioned above. The uses of which are strictly limited and even prohibited in some cases.

Detection and Origin of Etoxazole?

Etoxazole had previously been discovered in beans and peppers from Kenya and Turkey, and earlier this month, US analytical results revealed etoxazole residue levels in strawberries ranging from 1.20 to 1.28 ppm, exceeding the US and European Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of 0.5 ppm and 0.2 ppm, respectively.

According to USDA, strawberries are the fresh produce item most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues, even after they are picked, rinsed in the field, and washed before eating. 

The use of pesticides has increased in recent years due to the emergence of pesticide-resistant pests, climate change, and globalization. This has led to a new wave of pesticide-related health risks that need to be identified as soon as possible.

iComplai helps you identify emerging pesticide risks for your raw materials through our AI-based risk assessment tool. We provide a comprehensive set of tools for identifying emerging pesticide risks in food production and supply chains by using AI-based data analytics for real-time monitoring.

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 References:

Farag Malhat , Hany Badawy , Dalia Barakat & Ayman Saber (2013): Determination of etoxazole residuesin fruits and vegetables by SPE clean-up and HPLC-DAD, Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B: Pesticides, FoodContaminants, and Agricultural Wastes, 48:5, 331-335 Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1080%2F03601234.2013.742371

Minister of Health Canada, (2015) Etoxazole. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/cps-spc/alt_formats/pdf/pubs/pest/_decisions/rd2015-21/rd2015-21-eng.pdf